Africa-Press – Zambia. DECENTRALISATION IN THE NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT.
IT was exciting to me as one who has a bit of background but a lot of interest in local government, local authorities and development vis-a-vis efficient service delivery to the people to have read the presidential order to the new minister of finance to actualise decentralisation in the country.
Indeed, decentralisation will define the success of this government in service delivery to the people and political galvanisation at micro level. To this end, the New Dawn government should do away with District Commisisoners (DCs) and all the resources to this office be channelled towards strengthening the office of the Mayor/council chairpersons, District Intelligence Officers and the Councilors.
Mayors and Councilors are the political bedrock for any political establishment that want to be in power for years and any neglect is at the peril of that political establishment.
We expect the President as he addresses parliament to announce the abolition of the offce of the DC which has been a menace in the council work and activities and development at local level.
The President may also consider devising proper and motivating conditions of service for the Mayors/council chairpersons and Councilors unlike now where they are working full time without any conditions of service attached to their work and with meagre salaries.
This is why people even those who do not deseve to be MPs have been fighting to be MPs which position is more lucrative than that of the Mayor/council chairpersons and councilor yet work is more at local level.
Imagine a mayor of Lusaka, Kitwe or Ndola presiding over more than three constituencies but s/he is getting less than the MPs under him or her! This is injustice and demotivating which the last regime perpetuated.
The new Dawn government should motivate the councils if the decentralisation is to be reality and all Zambians, rural or urban are to benefits from the efforts of the New Dawn government.
